29.01.02
Radio
Times launches campaign against inconsiderate TV schedulers
This week, Radio Times launches a campaign to encourage broadcasters
to screen television programmes at civilised hours.
Nigel
Horne, the magazine's editor, says he's sick of seeing the best
series hidden away in the schedules, adding that millions of viewers
miss out on "the communal pleasure of good television"
when they have to record their favourite shows and watch them later.
He
is asking Radio Times' 3.1 million readers to contact him with their
"grievances" - either through the magazine's letters page
or online, at www.radiotimes.com/switch. In his editor's letter,
published on Tuesday 29 January, Nigel writes:
"Why
do schedulers expect us to stay up so late? Do they only work in
the afternoons? Do they not have beds to go to? Enough is enough
- I am starting a campaign on behalf of all of us who love good
television but have to get up in the morning. I'm calling it SWITCH
(ShoW Interesting Television at a Civilised Hour).
"You
will each have your own list of grievances. My recent beefs are
Band of Brothers (finishing at 11.35pm), Seinfeld (which sometimes
finished at 12.30 in the morning), Film 2002 (12.05) and The Sopranos
(11.45).
"Schedulers
particularly relish keeping us up late on a Sunday - so the much
heralded drama Bloody Sunday was shown between 10pm and midnight.
What happened? An audience of 5 million at the start fell to 2.5
million by the end. Some may simply not have enjoyed it - but how
many gave up because they had to get some sleep?
"In
theory, we can tape these shows and watch them later. But that means
we miss out on the communal pleasure of good television - knowing
that our friends and family are at home watching the same thing,
and that we can all swap notes at the photocopier in the morning
or in the pub at lunchtime.
"Who'll
join my protest?"
Last
year, Radio Times received 40,000 letters, e-mails, telephone calls
and faxes from its readers, many of whom complained about broadcasters
who placed programmes in late-night slots.
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